Book 155: Trauma Room Two by Philip Allen Green

Trauma Room Two was a simple, beautiful set of short stories written by an emergency room physician, Philip Allen Green. I loved this book and felt it was exactly what I needed to get back on track. It had its own momentum and was emotionally provocative. I cried at least twice while reading this book.

I'm no doctor, but it seems to me that Dr. Green captured something special in this book: he showed compassion fatigue in its most elemental form. Those of us who work in offices and retail stores can never appreciate the strength of character required to maintain a compassionate nature when faced with humanity's raw reality day in and day out. I simply cannot imagine how much emotional scar tissue one must build to withstand such pressure and come out okay. No wonder spirits falter and maintaining compassion becomes difficult.

There are two stories that struck me as particularly memorable in this book because their outcomes were completely different than what I expected. One dealt with an addict, the other a homeless man. I'm still trying to digest both of those stories.

This little book was one I will remember for a long time. Pick it up - you won't regret it.